The present invention relates to remote control systems and in particular multiple switch control systems for control of accessory equipment and/or apparatus in a motor vehicle such as radio, telephone, cruise control, television and turn signals, for example in which the controls for the various accessories are centrally located, for driver convenience, but remote from the accessory.
In the past, motor vehicles, such as passenger automobiles and trucks were designed with the controls for various accessory equipment such as radio, head lights, and windshield wipers for example, located on the dash board or in a console close to the driver of the vehicle so that the controls of the accessory equipment were easily accessible to the driver. The location of these controls were not always driver convenient because what was convenient to one person was inconvenient to another person because of the wide range of the size of people driving motor vehicles. Also, often the concept of eye appeal took preference over driver convenience and accessability where location of controls of accessory equipment was concerned.
When turn signals were added as motor vehicle accessory equipment the controls for these signals were generally located on the steering column, very close to and conveniently accessable to the driver, along with the shift control for the transmission of the vehicle.
Subsequently, other controls such as head light control, windshield wiper and washer controls, horn and cruise control were also located on the steering column, along with the steering wheel tilt control. The placement of these several controls on the steering column made these controls more readily accessable to the driver but this attempt at centralization of this plurality became confusing to the driver. In order to reduce the confusion these controls were combined, as much as deemed practical, and were separated or spread out around the steering column where ever practical. This took so much space on the steering column that placement of additional controls on the steering column is seen as not practical from a space stand point and only adding to driver confusion, from the multiplicity of controls standpoint.
Current thought for the design and placement of additional controls for other accessories of a motor vehicle or to remove some accessory controls from the steering column is to place additional controls for other accessories closer to the driver and in an area where the driver can view the controls more readily without removing his eyes from the road or with minimal eye removal from the road while the vehicle is in operation. The hub or central area of the steering wheel has been considered a desirable area in which to place additional controls. Placement of controls for accessory equipment in the hub area or central area of the steering wheel will place these controls closer to the driver and in a more convenient area of view for the driver than previously located but where controls located on the steering column are in a stationary location, controls located in the hub area or central area of the steering wheel would rotate with the steering wheel when the steering wheel is turned while steering the vehicle and the use of a wire harness containing a plurality of wires or control lines loosely positioned about the steering wheel shaft to permit rotation of the steering wheel presents the danger of binding the steering shaft.